Fuel-carrying means for lighters



Feb. 25, 1930.

' L. .v. vARoNsoN FUEL CARRYING MEANS FOR LIGHTERS Filed Jan. 9,. 1929 INVENTOR Patented Feb. 25, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE LOUIS v. ABONSON, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ART METAL WORKS,

ING., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY FUEL-CARRYING MEANS FOR LIG'HTEBS Application filed January 9, 1929. Serial No. 831,240.

The invention relates in general to pocket lighters, such as commonly used for lighting ci arettes and the like, and more particular y to a fuel charging arrangement for 5 such lighters.

The objects of the invention include the provision of a relatively simple, dependable, highly efficient and convenient device of the type above indicated.

10 Various further' and more specific objects,

features and advantages will clearly appear.

from the detailed description given below taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and illustrate merely by way of example' one embodiment of the device of the invention.

The invention consists in such novel features, arrangements and combinations of parts as may be shown and described in connection with the apparatus herein disclosed by way of example only and as illustrative of a preferred embodiment.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is an elevation, with parts broken away, of a lighter according to the invention;

Fig. 2 -is a perspective of a fuel cartridge as it might be placed on the market;and

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the cartridge shown in Fig. 2, with the cover partially pulled off, prior to insertion in the lighter casing.

In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but such names are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

Referring now to thedrawing, the lighter comprises in general a casing having side walls 1, a bottom wallv2 and a top wall 3 defining a fuel reservoir 4. Disposed within passes through the top wall and has suitable the reservoir is absorbent material 17 which sparking material mounted therein in operative relation to a sparking wheel 8.

Depending from the top wall 3 is a sleeve seat 9 having a plunger 10 telescoping therein. A coil spring 11 is disposed between the bottom of the sleeve and the plunger to normally hold the plunger in upper position. The plunger 10 has a thumb piece 12 secured thereto and also a rack member 13 having teeth engageable with a gear 14 rotatable with the sparking wheel 8.

AF suitable support 15 is provided for rotatably supporting the sparking wheel 8, gear 14, and a snuier member 16. The snuffer member 16 is adapted to close, to the position shown, over the wick holder 5 to snuff out the flame. It will be seen that downward pressure on the thumb piece 12 causes the sparking wheel to rotate and the snuifer member to rise, causing a'shower of sparks to impinge on the wick igniting it.

In order to conveniently charge the reservoir 4 with fuel a cartridge shown in Fig. 2 is provided. This cartridge may comprise a cylindrical container 20 of thin, soft metal such as lead or tin, provided with a flange 21 at its upper end. A flat cap 22 having a finger piece 23 is secured to the flange by cement or solder of low tensile strength. It will be understood that the cartridges as shown in Fig. 2 will be sold in the open market and the users of the lighters may buy such cartridges to rell their lighters with fuel when necessary.

The bottom wall 2 of the reservoir has a threaded opening 24 provided with a shoulder 25. A fiat plate 26 is threaded into this opening, this plate having a threaded iiange 27 and a shallow recess 28. A plug 29 having an enlarged head 30 is threaded into the flange 27 and a gasket 31 seats between the head 30 and the-plate 26 to provide a tight joint, as indicated in Fig. 1. Attached to the plug 29 is a long spike 32 having a sharp pointed end. It will be understood that the plate 26, the plug 29 and spike 32, and washer 31 form a permanent but detachable part of the lighter shown in Fig. 1 as sold.

When the fuel in the reservoir 4 is consumed and it is desired to reill the reservoir,

the empty container 20 is removed from the reservoir after first removin the plug 29 and the plate 26. The new cartridge indicated in Fig. 2 filled with liquid fuel is opened by grasping the finger piece 23 and forcibly pulling the cover. 22 off. The lighter isl theninverted and the cartridge seated within thev reservoir with its flange 21 against the shoulder 25 of the bottom wall 2. The late 26 is then screwed to tightly clamp the ange 21 between it and the shoulder 25, and the plug 29 is threaded into the flange 27 to the position shown in Fig. 1, the sharp point of the spike 32 puncturing the fuel cartridge forming hole 33.

When it is desired to let some of the liquid fuel out of the cartridge toy saturate the packing 17, the combined plug 29 and. spike 32 is unserewed to the position shown in the dotted lines in-Fig. 1, thus opening the .punctured hole and allowing the fuel to leak out into the surrounding reservoir. )After suiiicient fuel has leaked out of the cartridge, the plug 29 is screwed down tightl so that the pointed spike blocks the flow o liquid through the punctured opening. The lighter is carried about the person and used in the usual way until additional fuel is needed. The plug 29 is then unserewed and additional fuel allowed to flow out through the punctured opening 33 as above`explained."

Thus a construction is provided which does away, to a great extent, with. the troublesome operation of filling the usual lighter with fuel. Furthermore, a reserve of fuel is always carried about in the cartridge so that, anytime the lighter runs out of fuel, additional fuel can beallowed to leak through the punctured opening. When the fuel in the cartri ge is consumed, it is a simple matter to relill withl a new cartridge as above explained.

While the invention has been described with respect to a certain particular preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after -understanding the invention, that various changes and modilications maybe made without departing from the spiritand `scope of the invention and it is intended therefore in the appended claims to cover all Isuch changes and modifications.

Whatl is claimed is:

1. In a lighter of the class described, a chamber for holding fuel, ignition devices, a wick extending into said chamber, a fuel cartridge having an open end, said chamber having an opening in the wall for the insertion of said cartridge, means connecting the open end of said cartridge around said opening, a removable cover for said opening, and

- a member passing through said cover for controlling passage of fuel from said cartridge into the surrounding chamber space.

2. a pocket lighter, a chamber for hold- Athe bottom wall of said casing havin ing fuel, a wickprojectin throu h a wall 'of sald chamber, ignitmg evlces for lighting said wick, a/wall of said chamber having a threaded opening and Bange forming a shoulder, a container holding liquid fuel and havmg an outwardly projecting 'flange at its open top, said container 'being disposed within said chamber with its flange against said shoulder, a plate threaded yinto said opening-t0 hold said fi-ange against said shoulder, said plate having a threaded opening, a plug threaded into said plate opening, said plu lhaving a head, agasket between said hea and plate, a spike attached to said plug and having a sharp point puncturin the bottom of said contamer and seating 1n the puncture when said head compresses said gasket.

3. In a pocket lighter, a chamber for holdmg fuel, a wick projecting through a top wall of rsaid chamber, igniter devices for .1

lighting said wick and located! on said top wall, the bottom wall of said chamber havingl a threaded opening and flange formin a shoulder, a cylindrical container holdmg liquid fuel and having an outwardly being disposed within said chamber with its iiange against said shoulder, a plate threaded into said opening to hold said iiange/ against said shoulder, said plate havin a threaded flange projectin into said cham r and a recess, a plug threa ed into said iiange and having a head in said recess, a gasket betweensaid head and plate, a spike attached to said plug having a sharp point puncturing the bottom of said container and seating in the puncturewhen said head compreses said gasket.

f 4. The combination with pyrophoric lighting mechanism comprising a fuel-containingmg having an opening, and means for detachably associating said casings whereby .the

,ro-z jecting flange at its open top, said container` opening of said sup lementary casing is in alinement with sai first named opening when said plug is removed therefrom.

5. The combination with pyrophoric light-l ing mechanism comprising a fuel-containing casing, spark-producing mechanism carried on the top wall of said casing, a wick extending from the interior of said casing to the vicinity of said spark-producing mechanism, a threaded openin and a plug threaded into said opening, o means or supplying fuel to the wick section in said casing, said means comprising a supplementary elongated fuelcontaining casing of deformable sheet material and having an opening, and means adapting said casings for detachable association so that the opening of said supplemenl tary casing is in alinement with said rst named opening when said plug is removed therefrom, a portion at least of said supplementary casing closely tting within said first named opening, said supplementary casing being discarded after the fuel contained thereby has been transferred to said rst named casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

LOUIS V. ARONSON. 

